Globalization and McDonaldization Does it all Amount to Nothing?
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Transcript of Globalization and McDonaldization Does it all Amount to Nothing?
Globalization and McDonaldization
Does it all Amount to Nothing?
Globalization & McDonaldization
• McDonaldization is more than a phenomenon
• A particular type of social change• Relates to the idea of globalization
– A leading form of globalization in terms of its global impact
Globalization & McDonaldization
• Globalization is the worldwide diffusion of practices, expansion of relations across continents, organization of social life on a global scale, and growth of a shared global consciousness.
Globalization & McDonaldization
Keys to the definition of Globalization• Practices
– Education, Law Enforcement, Fast Food
• Relationships– International relationships fostered by multi-
national corporations– Relationships among foreign governments,
police agencies, and science institutions
• Organizing Social Life– Eating out and on the run– Changing the nature of education– “McDonaldized” systems
Globalization & McDonaldization
Keys to the definition of Globalization• Global Consciousness
– Aware of the growing tide of change and local culture
– Cannot escape aggressive marketers that people can hardly avoid being conscious of the changes
Globalization & McDonaldization
Globalization: Glocalization and Grobalization
• Two Main Questions:– Does Global Change Involve Increasing
Homogeneity or Increasing Heterogeneity or a mixture of both?
– What is the relationship between the local and global?
Globalization & McDonaldization
Globalization: Glocalization and Grobalization
• What Drives the globalization process? What is its motor force?– Capitalism and the need to expand
markets– Americanization and the spread of
American Culture– McDonaldization and the spread of
hyper-rationality
Globalization & McDonaldization
Globalization: Glocalization and Grobalization
• Glocalization is the interpenetration of global and the local resulting in unique outcomes in different geographic areas– Such a view leads to the downplay the
fear of increasing homogeneity and the loss of local culture
– Individuals and groups are powerful in modifying the globalizing forces
Globalization & McDonaldization
Globalization: Glocalization and Grobalization
• Grobalization focuses on the imperialistic ambitions of nations, corporations, organizations, and the like and their desire, indeed need, to impose themselves on various geographic areas.
Globalization & McDonaldization
Globalization: Glocalization and Grobalization
• Grobalization – In complete contrast of Glocalization– Leads to the conclusion that the world is
growing increasingly similar– Scares those concerned with increasing
homogeneity• Global forces are seen as largely
determining what individuals and groups think and do throughout the world
Globalization & McDonaldization
Nothing-Something & McDonaldization• Nothing is defined as a social form
that is generally centrally conceived, controlled, and comparatively devoid of distinctive substantive content.– Defined essentially by fast food
• Centrally conceived• Controlled• Lacking distinctive content
Globalization & McDonaldization
Nothing-Something & McDonaldization• Something is defined as a social form
that is generally indigenously conceived, controlled, and comparatively rich in distinctive substantive content– Local– Controlled locally– distinctive
Globalization & McDonaldization
Nothing-Something & McDonaldization• The Nothing–Something Continuum• The Nothing-Something and Glocal-
Grobal relationship– Heuristic device– Ideal type– Typological Approach and Sorting
Globalization & McDonaldizationGlocal
Grobal
Something Nothing
Craft Barn
Local Crafts
Craftsperson
Touring Art Exhibit
Guided Tour of Collection
Knowledgeable guide
Souvenir Shop
Tourist Trinkets
McDonald’s
Big Mac
Food Service
Grobalization of Something
• Low demand for something• Complexity of something makes it
expensive• High prices and low demand means
little money for marketing• Can’t be mass-marketed• Consumers are generally willing to
pay anything• Scarcity indicates value
Glocalization of Nothing
• Tourism stimulates the interest in local products
• More tourists come• Low price souvenirs made elsewhere
and shipped back (Eiffel Tower paperweight made in China
• Native Show– Feasts– Dances– Displays
Glocalization of Something
• Expensive• Distinctive content makes it unlikely
it will be widely disseminated• Don’t worry about expanding
markets– Artisans– Well paid but cannot effectively mass
market
Glocalization of Something
The Case for McDonaldization as an example of the Glocalization of Something
• Norway: McLaks--grilled salmon sandwich• Netherlands: Groenteburger—veggie burger• Uruguay: McHuevos and McQuesos• Japan Chicken Tatsuta Sandwich• Phillipines: McSpaghetti• Russia: Pirozhok—potato, mushroom, and
cheese pie• UK: Lamb McSpicy and McChicken Korma
Naan
Grobalization of Nothing
• The processes seen in McDonaldization make glocal something into grobal nothing
• Grobalization of nothing wrecks local norms and values
• Jihad Vs. McWorld– Grobalization of nothing spawns local
fundamentalist resistance movements